Yes that’s right, it’s still all about poo. I know you probably thought the poo stage was over because babies do so many of them, but I’m sorry to say it’s not. Your child’s poo still needs to be a subject of great interest to you, especially for toddlers still in nappies but also for kids who are a bit older and toilet trained, and even your school-age kids. (Yep, it’s glamorous being a mum.)
Your child’s poo tells you a lot about their health. If you know what to look for, you can be one step ahead of the game when it comes to improving your child’s health and maintaining it.
What Your Child’s Poo Can Tell You About Their Health
According to Chinese medicine, children should poo one to three times a day, preferably once for each meal. It should be well-formed and have a low smell.
If your child regularly poos more than that and their poos are sloppy, then this indicates a weak digestive system.
If your child does super-smelly poos, it means they’re not digesting their food properly or they’ve had too much of something rich that doesn’t agree with them.
If they don’t poo every day then it means their waste is staying in their body for longer which isn’t great, as toxins can build up. It’s better for their body if they have a daily bowel motion.
So what can you do to improve your child’s bowel movements? I thought you’d never ask!
What goes in must come out – so you need to pay a lot of attention to what is going in. In Chinese medicine, we label foods according to what they do when they get into your body. For example, some foods bring a lot more moisture in and we call those foods damp. Some of those foods include dairy products, fruit, nuts, seeds, sweets and cakes.
Other foods bring in a drying quality and dry us out more. Examples include adzuki beans, rye flour and dried fruit.
There are also foods that will heat up your body, cool it down or are neutral.
There are times when your child will need specific dietary guidelines to help with their gut health. We always encourage that but if you’re after the golden rules of Chinese medicine in terms of a healthy gut, a strong immune system and great sleep, here they are:
- Variety is the spice of life but not necessarily in one sitting. For a toddler, we recommend three to four flavours or ingredients in a dish and not many more. Start simple and they will digest better.
- Warm it up. That’s right, if you can, it’s always better for them to have their food and drink at room temperature or warmed up rather than straight out of the fridge. It’s easier on their digestion.
- Think more vegetables and less fruit. Fruit can be overeaten in our culture. Imagine we still lived in tribes in the bush. Think how often fruit would be naturally available. It’s only in the last century or so that we’ve had so much fruit en masse from all around the world available all the time. It brings a lot of moisture to the body, creates a damp environment and can give rise to sloppy and smelly poos – so if that’s the case with your child, cut back on fruit and increase the veg. Your toddler’s gut will love you for it.
- Spread out meals so there’s not tonnes of snacking. Imagine your toddler’s gut as a washing machine – you can’t put too much in and you’ve got to give it time to digest everything. Their gut needs to fill then empty and have a rest before they fill it again. It will work better that way, just like washing clothes.
I’ve been working in the Red Tent Clinic since 2006 and I have seen a lot of kids over that time. I can’t say this enough: diet is so incredibly important. It is the cornerstone of your child’s health. It is worth paying attention to and learning more about.
Learn How To Manage Your Child’s Health At Home
Want more info? Perhaps an easy-to-follow, in-depth eating plan for your child, both in sickness and in health? What about professional advice on how to treat childhood illnesses at home, and how to tell when it’s time to see a doctor? We’d love to share all our combined knowledge about keeping your children healthy and happy. Check out our online course for mums: The A to Z of Home Remedies for Children’s Health.
Delve into diet, Chinese medicine, ancient remedies and holistic health in a whole lot more detail and come out the other side with a unique plan for your child or children to keep them healthy. You will come at health from a different angle than you’re used to but it’s fascinating. You get to see progress from other mums during the journey through our secret Facebook group too.
Learn online at your own pace. All the info can be found here. It’s a good time to ramp up your home remedy knowledge and take control of your family’s health … just before the cold and flu season kicks in!